Lancashire: Announcing retirement from professional cricket at the age of 85… well this is something people really won’t believe in. But that is exactly what has transpired.
West Indian cricketer Cecil Wright who came to England in 1959 to play professional cricket in the Central Lancashire League for Crompton Club has recently announced that he will retire from the game in two weeks time. Cecil Wright is now 85.
Wright played for the senior Jamaican side in West Indies for five years with distinction. He played against the likes of Garfield Sobers, Frank Worrell and Wes Hall. He may not have the stats to be placed alongside the likes of Sobers, Worrell, Vivian Richards of Clive Lloyd. But in longevity and time spent for cricket, he outlasts them all.
Cecil Wright came to England and decided to stay on after meeting his future wife Enid. Popularly known as ‘Cec’, he has also played with Richards and Joel Garner. In a career spanning a little over 60 years, Wright has taken over 7,000 wickets. At one point of his career, Cecil Wright took 538 wickets in five seasons, averaging one every 27 balls.
“Pretty good going,” Wisden had said Wisden, referring to Wright’s stamina. Bit finally Wright has accepted that the time has come to call it stumps. “I wish I knew the reason for my longevity, but I couldn’t tell you what it is,” Wright was quoted as saying by the ‘The Daily Mirror’.
Wright attributed his longevity to his love of traditional no frills Lancashire food such as ‘hot pot’. “To be honest I eat anything that’s going but I don’t drink much, just the odd beer,” he said. “And I keep fit, although these days I use my age as an excuse to miss training. I find keeping active helps to ease aches and pains. I don’t like to sit still and watch TV. I would rather have a walk or potter about in the garage,” Wright added.
The West Indian will bring down the final curtain on his career September 7 (Saturday), turning out for Uppermill, near Oldham, against Pennine League side Springhead.
PNN & Agencies